It’s easy to feel confused by the selection of a new furnace for your home since they’re complicated appliances. Considering what’s at stake for your long-term comfort and budget, it’s worth exploring the basic principles behind selecting the best heating system for your home.
- Energy efficiency. For months each year, your heating system is probably the hardest-working appliance upon which you rely for comfort, and in this climate, it uses a lot of energy. Canada mandates that all new furnaces carry an AFUE (annual fuel utilization efficiency) rating of 90. This means that the system has to use 90 percent of the fuel it burns as heat for the home and waste just 10 percent of fuel as combustion gases.
New furnaces are available that have AFUE ratings that reach into the high 90s. Besides minimal fuel waste, these appliances pay for themselves even faster in better heat conversion for your home.
- Size. When it comes to the size of the furnace you need, don’t take shortcuts. Have your trusted HVAC contractor conduct a thorough analysis of the heating load of your home. Homes with higher heating loads require larger furnaces. The size of your home is part of the load analysis, but it’s not the only factor. Its overall energy efficiency makes an impact as well. Homes with high levels of insulation, little air infiltration and thermal windows have lower loads than those that don’t.
If you’re in the process of selecting a new furnace, contact Arpi’s Industries, Ltd. for more information about the critical aspects of your selection. We proudly provide HVAC services for Calgary homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about furnaces and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
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